Leg supporting platform and extension for adjustable chairs



June 16, 1953 R. A. MAURER LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM AND EXTENSION FOR ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1951 INVENTOR. Pqerf I). Maura/1 BY A 770/P/VEK June 16, 1953 MAURER 2,642,122

LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM AND EXTENSION FOR ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Filed Dec. 12, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. faerffi. Magm /1 device.

Patented June 16, 1953 LEG SUPPORTING PLATFORM AND EXTEN sloN ron ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Robert A. Maurer, East Palestine, Ohio, assignor to The Ken nar Manufacturing Company, East Palestine, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application December 12, 1951, Serial N 0. 261,237

wh ms- 15 1-1 This invention relates to adjustable chairs such as reclining chairs in general and more particularly to legsupporting platforms associated therewith and specifically to an extendible portion of such leg supporting platform.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a leg supporting platform with an extension for an adjustable chair. I A further object of the invention is the provision of an extension for a leg supporting platform as used on an adjustable chair and operating to extend the effective length of the platform.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an extension for a leg supporting platform as used on an adjustable chair and comprising a simply operated, economically formed The extension for leg supporting platforms as used on adjustable chairs and disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art relating to such chairs and particularly with respect to theco-pending application of Fred .C. Maurer on Adjustable Chair With Leg Supporting Platform, Serial No. 240,135 filed August 11, 1951 and assigned to The Kenmar Manufacturing Company, wherein an adjustable chair is disclosed with a leg supporting platform mounted adjacent the forward edge of the seat portion for moves ment from a vertical position beneath the seat portion when the chair is in upright position to substantially horizontal position in frontof the seat portion when the chair is in reclining position.

The construction in the said co-pendingapplication works efficiently and is attractive in use and operation but is not entirely satisfactory under all conditions as taller people find the leg supporting platform engaging their legs in the area of the calves whereas the ideal support from such a platform would occur at a point closer to the persons feet.

The present invention discloses a construction like that in the said co-pending application with respect to the chair and the adjustingmeans and the platform elevating and retracting means and, inaddition thereto, illustrates a simple and economical form of platform extension which moves outwardly with respect to the main leg supporting platform when the platform moves into substantially horizontalposition, thus providing the extra length necessary and desirable for adequately supporting the users legs.

The present disclosure relates primarily to the leg supporting platform and the extension thereof ,andthe means mounting the extension 2 on the platform and the means operated by the platform in conjunction with the chair for moving th extension into and out of extended position. With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and moditfications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the panying drawing, wherein:

, Figure l is a side elevation of an adjustable chair in upright position with parts. broken away and parts in section and illustrates the leg supporting platform and extension iii-retracted position. I

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the chair with parts broken away and parts in cross section with the seat portion in reclining position, the platform in horizontal position and the extension in extended position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-'-.3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a substantially horizontal section taken on line l-tof Figure 2. a

By referring to the drawings and Figures 1 accomand 2 in particular it will be seen that an adjustable chair with a leg supporting platform having an extension thereon is disclosed and comprises a base i 0 having a pair of spaced arms I l aifixed thereto and arranged to adjustably position a seat and back unit therebetween, the upright portion of which is a back 12 and the horizontal portion of which is a seat l3. The seat and back unit includes a pair of spaced rails it positioned beneath the sides of the seat portion it, the rails i i serving to position a pair of rods l5l5 transversely of the seat portion it. The base if! has a pair of spaced vertical side sections ltdl8 positioned beneath th arms I I and parallel with and adjacent to the rails I l heretofore referred to. Two pairs of semi-arcuate slots ii and [8 .are formed in the vertical side sections lS-JE in oppositely disposed relation so that the ex tending ends of the ,rods l5,-i5 registertherein for sliding movement therein.

It will thus beobserved by referring to Figure l of the drawings that when the seat andback unit is in position, as shown, with the seat portion 13 in substantially horizontalposition, the

rods l -l 5 are in the forward ends of the semiarcuate slots i1 and Hi.

It will thus be observed by referring to Figure 1 of the drawings that when the seat and back unit is in position, as shown, with the seat portion I3 in substantially horizontal position, the rods l5-l5 are in the forward ends of the semiarcuate slots I1 and i8.

By referring to Figure 2 of the drawings it will be seen that the rods !5 move to the opposite or rearends of the semi-arcuate slots 55 and I? when the seat and back unit is tilted backwardly to reclining position. The front portion of the seat portion 13 is cut away beneath the upper edge thereof so that a leg supporting platform formed of two parts I9 and 28 may be positioned therebeneath in vertical position when the chair is in upright position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The two parts it and 2! of the leg supporting platform are preferably upholstered so that they match the appearance of the seat portion l3 of the seat and back unit of the chair and are of a size and shape so that they conform with the chair lines in upright position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, and do not indicate their presence.

Mechanism is provided, as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, for moving the two-part leg supporting platform outwardly and upwardly at such time as the seat and back unit is moved backwardly to reclining position. The mechanism for moving the two-part leg supporting platform comprises a plurality of levers which are pivotally affixed to the one part if: of the leg supporting platform and which are actuated by the movement of the unitary seat and back portion with respect to the stationary base. The movement is initiated by a pair of oppositely disposed levers 2 i-Zl pivoted midway between their ends by pivots 22-22 to the vertical side sections IS.

The levers 21-2! lie inwardly of the vertical side sections i6 and adjacent the rearmost pair of arcuately formed slots id. The levers 2l-2l are pivoted to the vertical side sections [6-1 3 so that their uppermost ends, as seen in Figure 1, move on, an are comparable with that of the arcuate slots i8 and the uppermost ends of the levers 2 [-21 are bifurcated as at 23 so that they may slidably engage the rods it: at points thereon between the side rails 54 of the seat and back unit and the vertical side sections 16 of the base, as best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

By referring again to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be observed that a pair of ofiset links 24 are pivoted at their rearward ends to the lower ends of the levers 2! by pivots 25-25 and to the upper portions of the leg supporting platform [9 by pivots 26-26. It will be observed that the bottom portion of the side rails 14 of the seat and back unit have recesses cut therein registering with the offset portion of the offset links 24 which permits the rearward ends of the offset links 24 to lie on a plane between the side rails l4 and the vertical side sections it while their forward portions lie within the area between the rails l4 of the seat and back unit.

A pair of secondary levers 21-2! are pivoted at their uppermost ends to the inner sides of the side rails 14 by means of pivots 23-23 and at their lowermost ends to a pair of secondary links 29-29 by means of pivots 30-39. The secondary levers 21-21 are also pivoted intermediate their ends to the links 24-24 by means of pivots 31-31 and the foremost ends of the secondary links 29-29 4 are pivoted to the lower portion of the part IQ of the leg supporting platform by means of pivots 32-32. It will thus be seen that when the seat and back unit is in upright position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the levers 2| are in approximately vertical position with their bifurcated upper ends 23 engaged upon the rod which is in the upper portion of the arcuate slots it. The offset links 24 extend between the lower ends of the levers 2| and the upper pivotal attachment points of the leg supporting platform The leg supporting platform I9 is in vertical position by reason of the positioning of the secondary levers 2! and the secondary links 29. The secondary levers 21 are pivoted to the side rails it of the seat and back unit by the pivots 28 and are in substantially vertical position with their lower ends pivoted to the rear ends of the secondary links 29 through the pivots 30. The pivots 3| intermediate the ends of the secondary levers 27 are pivoted to the offset links 24 at a distance spaced from the forward end of these links such that the leg supporting platform I!) is held in vertical position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

At such time as the seat and back unit is tilted backwardly, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, the levers 2! move from approximately vertical position to approximately horizontal position as they follow the movement of the rod i5 in the oppositely disposed arcuate slots it. The opposite ends of the lever 21 therefore move the links 24 forwardly which causes the upper end of the leg supporting platform to move outwardly and forwardly as the links 24 are pivoted by way of the secondary levers 21 and the pivots 23 to the side rails 14 of the seat and back portion. The lower end of the leg supporting platform i9 swings outwardly and upwardly on an are based on the pivots 26 on the ends of the offset links 25 by reason of the secondary links 29 and the secondary levers 21 to which they are pivoted.

It will thus be seen that the leg supporting platform i9 moves in a predetermined pattern directly responsive to the tilting motion of the seat and back unit and that when the seat and back unit is in reclining position, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 of the drawings, the platform has moved into substantially horizontal position in horizontal alignment with the forward end of the seat portion i3.

By referring again to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be observed that the extension portion 2% of the leg supporting platform I9 is mounted immediately below the platform I9 when the same are in vertical position, as in Figure 1 of the drawings, and that it moves outwardly with respect thereto when the platform 19 is in horizontal position as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

By referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the mechanism for accomplishing this movement may be seen. The extension 20 is supported on the platform 59 by a pair of rearwardly extending rods 33-33 which telescopically engage a pair of tubular members 34-3-2 which are mounted beneath the platform IS. The platform l9 also carries a moving lever pivoted thereto as at 36 and normally lying on a diagonal line with respect to the forward edge of the platform I9, as best seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. The foremost end of the moving lever 35 is pivoted to a bracket 37 on the foremost end of a link 38 which 5 in turn is pivoted to a bracket 39 on a transverse member 40 extending between the rails l of the seat IS. The opposite end of the moving lever 35 is pivoted to a secondary link 4| and the secondary link 4| is pivoted as at 42 to the extension 20.

It will thus be observed that when the outward and upward motion of the platform Iii occurs by reason of the tilting of the seat and back portions of the chair, the platform l9 moves with respect to the transverse member 40 of the seat l3 and thus causes the link 38 to move the moving lever 35 on its pivot 36, which motion is reversed by the moving lever 35 and is imparted to the link 4| which is pivoted to the extension 20 and thereby causes the same to move away from the platform I 9. Thus as the platform [9 moves outwardly and upwardly on its arcuate path to approximately horizontal position in front of the seat portion l3 of the chair, the extension 20 also moves outwardly with respect to the platform [9 and assumes its proper position for the desired support of the legs of the person sitting in the chair.

At such time as the seat and. back portion of the chair is moved into upright position, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, the platform swings downwardly in under the forward edge of the seat l3 and simultaneously the extension 20 moves inwardly into close proximity with the platform H! as also shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that the tilting of the seat and back unit of the chair results in the movement of the platform l9 and in the movement of the extension 20 with respect thereto.

It will thus be seen that the adjustable chair with leg supporting platform disclosed herein meets the several objects of the invention.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the mechanism is efiicient and incapable of becominginoperative and that it may be inexpensively formed and positioned in the chair in a minimum of space.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a reclining chair having a leg supporting platform movable relative thereto, an extension for said platform movably mounted on said platform for movement toward and away from said platform, means for moving said extension with respect to said platform and comprising a moving lever pivoted midway between its ends to said platform, a link connecting one end of said lever to said chair and a secondary link connecting the other end of said lever to said extension.

2. In a reclining chair having a leg supporting platform movable'from substantially vertical to substantially horizontal position relative thereto, an extension for said platform, tubular guides on said platform and projecting rods on said extension registering with said tubular guides, means for moving said extension with respect to said platform and comprising a lever pivoted midway between its ends to said platform, a link connecting one end of said lever to said chair and a secondary link connecting the other end of said lever to said extension, said extension being responsive in movement to relative motion between said platform and said chair.

3. A leg supporting platform for a reclining chair having a stationary base and a relatively movable seat portion, levers interconnecting said stationary base, seat portion and said platform to move the same when the seat portion is moved relative to said base portion, an extension mounted on said platform for movement on a plane common thereto and a moving lever pivoted between its ends to said platform and links connecting the opposite ends of said moving lever with said chair and said extension, respectively.

ROBERT A. MAURER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,733 Collins Jan. 14, 1873 156,772 Collins Nov. 10, 1874 667,363 Giess Feb. 5, 1901 2,604,141 Maurer July 22, 1952 

